hello, hello!

back on the saddle yay!

a typical mancunian sky ; )

So, I am back cycling yay! And I wasn’t as unfit as I thought ; ) I even got rained on, but I was so happy to be cycling with Vita that I really didn’t mind…

Now, I need to ask a question and advice…

When I set up this blog I was completely clueless so I ended up with www.lorenzacasini.wordpress.com

But really I wanted www.wheredorootsbelong.wordpress.com like the title of my blog. Also as I really want to share my learning curve with the renovation works of the house and any sustainable solutions we came across and use, I think that having my name and surname plus possible info of my own home may be a tad too naive??????

BUT I don’t want to lose you, my good blog friends! It is so nice to read your comments and share this cyber frienship ; )

So, what do you think? Should I move to a new blog name, will you still come and say hello????

Let me know!! ♥

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E sono tornata di nuovo a pedalare!! Urra`!!! E anche se ha piovuto mentre tornavo a casa ero cosi` felice di pedale con Vita che non me ne sono quasi accorta : )

Vorrei chiedere il vostro parere…

Quando ho cominciato questo blog non avevo molta conoscenza, e cosi` sono finita con www.lorenzacasini.wordpress.com mentre avrei voluto www.wheredorootsbelong.wordpress.com come il titolo di questo blog.

E` cosi` sto pensando di creare questo nuovo blog, anche perche` vorrei condividere le esperienze e informazioni che imparero` con i lavori di rinnovo e avere info di casa piu` il mio nome e cognome su internet accessibile a tutti mi sembra un po’ naive??????

PERO` non voglio perdere la vostra amicizia! E` cosi` bello leggere e ricevere i vostri commenti e saluti : ) Se mi sposto di blog continuerete a venirmi a trovare????

Fatemi sapere! ♥

Rambling…

Another week gone by… a frantic week… once of those week that leaves you feeling weird and a little overwhelmed.

My cold is hanging on, changing shape and form depending on the day, rather frustrating. I have been off Vita for a week now and I am not liking it, not that I could do otherwise do. My legs are itching to be cycling again, and I am dreading to be completely unfit when I will get back on it again. Also we are moving office and my commute will turn into a 4 mile each way, 8 miles a day. I am looking forward to it but I hope I will be strong enough to do it and not give up at the first proper spell of cold!!

There are few changes at our end too, we are moving! A house that we can call our own! Exciting, a dream that has come true, despite the financial hardship. We cannot wait, I cannot wait… and at the same time I am scared and a little overwhelmed of what lies ahead. Wanting everything to turn out perfect and fearing it will fail or something like that!

I wonder why my brain plays such tricks? Does it ever happen to you?

There are few renovation works to be done, and as in my job I preach sustainability left, right and centre it’s obvious we will renovate sustainably everywhere we can, but I am scared to death I am gonna get it wrong and  look like a fool! Unlikely as I am getting a lot of support from techy people and our great builder Chris. But there aren’t much green renovations of existing buildings been done so far in Manchester, and there isn’t a test and tried method or recipe for success, so it’s all experimental… also trying to overcome the redtape isn’t easy either…

I should tell myself it’s an exciting and great opportunity to do something special and move towards a smaller carbon footprint, and wipe away the fears…

If only I could get my energies back!!!!!

Thank goodness for this blog, it’s so therapeutic to let it all out here, I am sure I will be fine ; )

By the way can I share with you some feel-good blogs I have come across so far?

Naturally Nina is just so sweet and heart warming

Quaint Living has some great photography of the beautiful town of Oxford

And for an oriental food lover like me, it will stop raining* is just wonderful!

Came across this great shot on The Sartorialist, made me smile no end… elegance, bicycle and Italy (!)… what a great combination…

©The Sartorialist

If you look closely the bike is a Rossignoli - made in Milan… beautiful!

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Una settimana frenetica, una di quelle che ti lascia senza fiato e un po’… persa.. se mi intendete.

Il raffreddore continua, imperterrito, ma che barba! Io non ho tempo per star male, ho un casino di cose da fare!!! Capita sempre cosi` pero` no?!

Non vado in bici da giorni, e non mi piace vedere Vita ferma, le gomme quasi sgonfie… saro` senza fiato dopo due minuti quando ricomincero` ad andare in bici. E poi ci spostiamo d’ufficio e saro` piu` lontana da casa, diventeranno 8 miglia al giorno (circa 10km). Da una parte sono contenta cosi` davvero andare in bici sara` un bel modo di fare un po’ di esercizio, d’altra parte ho un po’ timore che appena comincera` il freddo vero scappero` al riparo al calduccio dell’autobus…

E poi ci sono altre novita`! Ci spostiamo di casa!! Una casetta tutta nostra! Un sogno, sognato da tanto tanto e finalmente si e` avverato!

Siamo eccitati, sopratutto io ma allo stesso tempo ho una gran paura (perche` voglio che sia tutto perfetto) che falliro` da qualche parte : ( ma si puo` essere cosi`? Poiche` dobbiamo fare dei rinnovi e me ne sto occupando io per la progettazione, non posso non sentire una grande responsibilita` (con me stessa eh?!)… speriamo davvero di fare un buon lavoro altrimenti che figura!!

Vabbe` vabbe`, andra` tutto bene, sto solo facendo la melodrammatica ; )

Intanto posso condividere con voi dei blog carinissimi che ho scoperto ultimamente? Sono in inglese, spero non vi dispiaccia…

Naturally Nina e` cosi` dolce, mi piace leggere la sua positivita`.

Quaint Living vive ad Oxford e fa delle foto bellissime!

E per me che adoro il cibo orientale, le foto e i racconti di it will stop raining* e` semplicemente ‘heaven’!

Customise….

So… although my cold is still hanging on, but on its way out I hope, I had bit of time to customise a cardi I found in a second hand shop in Manchester.

I liked the colour, but the cheap plastic buttons weren’t doing anything for me, so I thought to go girlie a bit (I may be 27, but hey, why not!) and added perly and pink buttons all different ones and made a quick brooch too…

I like the result, and it feels really nice wearing something that no-one else has for sure! yay for altering clothes to your liking!!

Sorry about poor quality of photos, light was a bit weird… will try again soon!

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Questo raffreddore sembra non voglia andarsene…mmmm… vabbe`! Nel frattempo ho deciso di rendere un cardigan che ho trovato in un negozio di ’second hand’ piu` allegro e piu` unico! E cosi` ho cambiato i bottoni, con uno diverso dall’altro e ho velocemente creato una piccola spilla.

A me piace, e poi vuoi mettere indossare qualcosa di veramente unico? eheh! E comunque a 27 anni tocca mantenersi giovane eh??? A me i 18 anni un po’ mancano… ma solo un poco eh?! Lo stress degli esami proprio non mi manca!!

Cheering up…

Ahhh… one of those week, where the stress runs so high my body has given up… booooo! So I am sat on the sofa, in my pjs, feeling horrendous with a throat that feels full of razors… nice!!

How do you get your body to stay strong?… wait… I know! Don’t get stressed… *doh*!

Well… I don’t  think I will.ever.learn!

Anyhow, I am looking though sunny photographs to cheer me up… it certainly works!

Summer in Seville... ahhhh can I go back??

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Che settimana orrenda… stressante e` un eufemismo. E cosi` sono sul divano ancora in pigiama, con la gola in fiamme!!! AAAAAHHHHH!!

Ma imparero` mai??? Stress = malanni… secondo me no, non imparero` mai…. mannaggia a me!

Se avete una ricetta magica per mantenere la salute perfetta fatemi sapere eh?!

Intanto mi guardo le foto delle vacanze estive, che mi tirano un po su` : )

Hear Hear!! – £29m bid for cycling infrastructure

daily encounter for a cyclist ©BBC

I’ve just come across this article on the BBC website!

How fantastic! Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Manchester got all this funding to really turn around the cycling infrastructure??!!

The article dates back to August, I am gonna keep my ear to the ground for further news…

I am keeping all my fingers and toes crossed!

For more info on Manchester’s cycling infrastructure current and future plans visit Greater Manchester Cycling Campaign.

Autumnal cycling – an update

Ahhh, so we are moving towards the end of October, before long it will be Guy Fawkes Night (remember, remember the 5th of November…), I absolutely love it! And in true style, autumn is in full swing the trees are nearly naked (!) and although pretty it’s a little scary cycling through layers of mushy leaves, although Vita is as steady as a tank lol!

As the mornings are pretty cold, around 3 or 4 degrees celsius, my trusty head band keeps my ear nice and cosy, and goes perfectly and seamlessly under my helmet, yay! My short parka jacket and warm scarf keep my neck and back warm, not forgetting my trusty gloves! I cycle slowly, mostly to enjoy the ride, but also not to build up any sweat since I am indeed wearing few layers, and so far I am still getting to work fresh as a rose… ok maybe not as a rose but you know, I am ok…

morning attire : )

Leaving the office now at 6pm I need the lights on. I have a small red light I attach to the seat post which I set on ‘flashing’ (just to catch the drivers’ attention) as well as Vita’s big steady red light, and her dynamo at the front. I feel just as safe as during the day, if not even more… funnily enough I think drivers are more careful at night, less naive, as they know visibility is reduced.

ready to set off home, outside the office

I am also noticing a still decent number of ordinary cyclists (i.e. no special clothing etc) on the road, despite the end of summer… so there’s hope, and the road outside my house has just had cycle-path lines painted (still, it’s less than 1m wide, sob!), but as you can see on the photo below, the road outside my office has no cycle path whatsover, I just have to squeeze through traffic, that’s why I’ll never be able to take any panda shots of me in my commute, unless I want to risk my life… no thanks!

joining the traffic...

So, so far I am pleased with my progress. I am enjoying riding in the autumnal temperatures, and I have cycled in the rain too (although not torrential!), I am hoping to gradually build up for when we’ll get to icy temperatures.

I will continue to record it anyway, as I would have never believed this time last year I would have been cycling every day and loved every minute of it!

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Siamo quasi alla fine di Ottobre, questo autunno sta correndo! Ed io mi diverto ancora ad andare in bici, la macchina proprio non mi manca. Sono contenta di poter prendere nota di questa mia ‘avventura’ poiche` solo l’anno scorso non avrei mai immaginato di adorare cosi` tanto andare in bici tutti i giorni!

Le temperature sono scese, tanto che la mattina non mancano la fascia calda per le orecchie, fine abbastanza da andare sotto il casco (da bici), sciarpa, guanti e giacca imbottita e via, dopo un po’ che pedalo il freddo non lo sento piu`!

Le infrastrutture per andare in bici ancora non sono eccellenti, come per esempio in Olanda o in Danimarca, pero` il comune piano piano i fondi li sta stanziando… Intanto basta andare piano con attenzione e la bici e` davvero un modo di trasporto eccellente. In piu` non devo mettere vestiti speciali, antipioggia e via, avere stile e la bici vanno insieme perfettamente, sopratutto mi posso godere i tacchi, che se dovessi camminare a lungo i miei piedi sarebbero morti dopo 10 minuti!!

Adesso, speriamo saro` preparata per il vero test, l’inverno!!

Very well done!

PB's well loved and well used Brompty!

Andrew Ritchie, inventor of Brompton (the super folding bike!) receives the Prince Philip Designers Prize. Yay! BBC article here…

Go Brompty I say ♥

Autumn proof

Yes, yes I know in the blogosphere everyone is talking about Autumn… so why not? I’m joining in too! Because I couldn’t resist myself taking some ‘evidence’ of this beautiful season (in my local park).

I have been riding every day, gloves and scarf have come out of my winter wardrobe and I am learning to ride in the rain too (first time for me!). Problem is, I keep forgetting my camera so have no proof (!) to show you that I am indeed riding in the rain and still very much enjoying it!… got to work on my memory eh?!

Wish you all a lovely week end! ♥

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Lo so che in tanti blog tutti scrivono di come sia arrivato l’autunno, ma anch’io non ho resistito a scattare qualche ‘prova’ che l’autunno e` anche qui, in tutta la sua bellezza!

Buon week end a tutti!! ♥

I Bike MCR – Mini Festival 09

Bike Polo : )

Hear ye! Hear ye!

From Monday the 5th till Sunday the 11th there will be a free mini bike festival all over Manchester!

Organised by the lovely people of I Bike MCR, there will be lots of fun activities in and around the city… free bike polo lessons, from beginners to veterans (!), cycle mass commute with instructors to gain more confidence on the road, treasure hunts (by bike of course!), bike maintenance classes, bike tours of the city finding important cycling landmarks – bike shops, repairs, coffee bars etc, you know the important  things : ) – and more!

If you are interested, have a bit of free time and fancy doing something different, have a look at the program here for further info!

London town & surroundings…

my train travel companions

London sights

Over the week end I went to visit my friend Maria who lives in the pretty county of West Sussex.

Girls in town...

We met in London where I arrived first, by train, for a wonder in the city and to pop over to Tate Modern. Also, as I have never been to a West End show, Maria surprised me with tickets to Dreamboats and Petticoats at the Savoy Theatre!! How wonderful! I loved the theatre, full art deco interiors, very fine and dandy. The musical was very sweet and happy and light-hearted… just what we needed!

Dreamboats and Petticoats ©Guardian

We then went over to hers (in West Sussex, about 45min from Victoria station), in her lovely house she shares with her other half… and a beautiful garden with a fig tree!! I was so smitten by it (nostalgic over our old fig tree we had when I was little, in Italy) I forgot to take any pictures!!

We talked and chatted for so long, our jaws ached and nearly lost our voices lol! But we loved it! It’s just simply wonderful spending time with dear friends.

And my week end ended on a sweet note, when on my way back, when the train stopped at East Croydon I spotted self pollinated tomatoes plants amongst the rail lines!

Tomatoes plant on East Croydon station

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Questo week end sono stata nel West Sussex (vicino Londra) a trovare la mia cara amica Maria. Ci siamo incontrate a Londra (dove sono arrivata con il treno) per fare due passi e visitare la Tate Modern. E poi, siamo andate (per me la prima volta) al teatro al West End!! A vedere Dreamboats and Petticoats al Savoy Theatre! Che divertimento! Allegro e spensierato proprio quello che ci serviva.

E abbiamo chiaccherato cosi` tanto! Tanto che ci facevan male le mandibole e abbiamo perso la voce, e tanto che mi son dimenticata piu` volte di fare delle foto, sopratutto alla sua bellissima casa e al suo giardino perche` ha un bellissimo albero di fichi!!!!!! Qui, in Inghilterra, vi rendete conto?? Spettacolare… Mi ha ricordato il nostro albero che avevamo al terreno… bei ricordi!

E nel viaggio di ritorno alla stazione di East Croydon, vedo piante di pomodoro in mezzo alle ferrovie… la forza della natura eh!?